Playing cards



Jan. 5 1926.

M. A. BRANDT PLAYING CARDS Filed May 11, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0 W W S A.1 Y M w m W m A T w/T QA T T m .M W 6 Y Q B 6 4 m M wA Jan. 5 1926.1,568,206

. M. A. BRANDT PLAYING CARDS Filed May 11, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 64 FIG"10.

INVEN TOR, MATTHEW A. BRANDT WM Mr M A TTORNE Ys.

Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

IATTHEW A. BRANDT, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

PLAYING cnnns.

Application filed May 11, 1923.- Serial No.'838,216.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MA'rrHEw A. BRANDT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PlayingCards, of which the following, is a specification.

My invention relates to playing cards, and an object is to provideplaying cards which are so arranged that not only will it be impossiblefor one or more persons to cheat in dealing while playing the cards, buteach of the players will be insured against any suspicion that the otherplayers are cheating while dealing. Another \object is to provideplaying cards in which various areas of the cards have indicated thereona plurality of values which are distinguishable from each other bydifierent indices whereby the value of the card is known as soon as theparticular index for determining value has been chosen. While myinvention has been illustrated in connection with the system of playingcards in most common use at the resent time, it will be understood thatmy invention is not limited to this system but may be used in connectionwith other systems or arrangements of cards. The different indices on aparticular card may conveniently be distinguished from each other by theemployment of different colors, but my invention is not limited to theuse of different colors, since other methods may be employed, such asdifferent numerals or shapes of indices for use by persons who are colorblind. The cards may also be made with an embossed effect for use byblind people. I

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear inconnection with the detailed description, and the novel features of myinventive idea will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which il-. lustrate some of the forms inwhich my invention may be embodied,

Fig. 1 is a face view of one card of a deck according to one form of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a back view of the card shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa face view of one card of a deck according to another form of theinvention. Fig. 4 is a back view of the card shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 isa face view of one card of a deck according to another form of theinvention. Fig. 6 is a back view of the card shown in Fig. Fig. 7 is aface view of one card of the deck according to another form of theinvention. Fig. 8 is a back view of the card shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 isa. face View of a-number of cards showing how they are placed togetherin a hand. Figs. 10 and 11 are views showing indicator cards.

In the forms of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6, each card of a deckis provided with four different values, one of these values being placedin each of the four corners. Inthe particular card selected forillustration, the four corners respectively illustrate the king ofdiamonds, five of spades, three of hearts and seven of clubs In the formshown in Fig. 1, an index 12 is placed above the letter K, and a line14. is placed below this letter. This index and line are printed in aparticular color such as black. The index 12 is printed with a circularprojection 16. An index 18 is placed above the numeral '1' and a line 20is placed below this numeral. This index and line are printed in anothercolor such as purple. The index 18 is provided with a square projection22. Viewing this card the other side up as would naturally be done forthe values on the other corners, an index 24 is placed above the numeral3 and a line 26 is placed below this numeral. This index and line areprinted in another color such green. The index 24 is provided with atriangular projection 28. An index 30 is placed above the numeral 5 anda line 32 is placed below this numeral. This index and line are printedin another color, such as red. The index 30 is provided with an ovalprojection 34. The backs of all of the cards in a deck, according to theform shown in Fig.1, appear as illustrated in Fig. 2, the indices beingprinted so as to appear on the backs of the cards, as well as on thefront for a purpose which will be explained later. The projections 16,22, 28, and 34, being differently shaped, serve to distinguish theindices from each other for persons who are color blind. In the formshown in Fig.

3, a simpler form is shown in which the indices 36, 38, '40, and 42 arerespectively placed below the letter K, and the nuof the cards of thedeck appear asqshown in Fig. 4 with the colored indices in view.

' In the form shown in Fig. -5, the colored indices 44, 46, 48, and 50are respectively placed below the letter K-..Z,,and the numerals 7, 3 an5, w t superposed on these indices are the numerals 1, 2, 3 f and 4.These latter numerals serve to distinguish the indices from each otherfor persons who are color blind. The backs of the cards of the deckappean as shown in F ig.-6 with the color indices in view. In making upa deck of cards in this man ner, the four different values on each, cardare so selected that the different cards when selected in accordancewith any one of the indices, will have all of the values which properlybelong to the deck. In the form shown in Fig. 7. each card of a deck isprovided with different values at two diagonally opposite corners. Inthe particular card selected for illustration, one corner representsfive of diamonds and the di-' agonally opposite corner represents eightof spades, these numerals being shown both in upright and bottomside upposition. An index 52 which is shown as purple is associated withthenumeral 5, while an index 54 shown as green is associated with thenumeral 8. In order that these indices may be distinguishable forpersons who are color blind, the index 52. may be provided with blankcircular portions 56, and the index 54 may be provided with blanktriangular portions 58. In order that the cards may be used in themanner of an ordinary deck without choosing a particular color, or otherindication after dealing, the center of the cards may be provided withan indication of value which is positively fixed as is now customary. InFig. 7, this value is indicated as the jack of hearts. In order that thecards may be readily read for such value when placed together in a hand,indices and 62 of the color of the suit may be placed at the left andright margins of the card. These indices are shown as extending ininclined direction from near the center to the margins of the card. Thebacks of the cards of the deck in this form appear as illustrated inFig. 8, with portions ofthe indices 52, 54, 60 and 62 showing through.Fig. 9 shows how the cards of a hand may be conveniently arranged forplaying after an index of a particular character has been chosen todesignate the value of-cards for the hand which is to be played. In thehand shown in this figure, cards of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, havebeen illustrated. It will be seen that when thus arranged, thecorresponding indices of the different cards line up with each other.

The advantage and manner of using my playing cards will be readilyunderstood in connection with the foregoing description. After the cardshave been dealt, and before examination of the values'of the cards byany player, the particular index which is to be used in playing out ahand in any card game may be determined in any suitable manner as bythrowing dice. To indicator cards 64 and 68 are shown in Figs. 10 and 11with different colors on each side, these colors correspondingrespectively with the colors of the indices. The use of indicator cardsis for convenience of remembering color of indices, and one of thesecards is placed in full view of the players after the color isannounced. The provision of the indices showing on the backs of thecards enables a player to turn back the corners containing theparticular index chosen in order to ascertain the value of thecardwithout turning back more than 8 one corner or exposing the entire cardto view. This can be readily done by any player after the cards havebeen dealt to him and he is not yet ready to pick them up. It is obviousthat when the cards are 9 dealt first, and before examination of anycards, the particular index which is to control the value is afterwardsdetermined by chance,it is rendered impossible for any of the players tocheat in the deal. The oppor- 9 tunity of stacking the cards and ofsleightof-hand dealing is completely removed.

I claim:

1. A deck of playing cards in which the cards have a plurality ofdifferent values thereon in combination with associated indices whichare distinguishable from each other and indices on the back thereofcorresponding in character and position to said first mentioned indices.

2. A deck of playing cards in which the cards have different valuesindicated in each of the four corners thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

MATTHEW A. BRANDT.

